The Living Proof
by Bellarsam Chrisjulittle
Summary: Takes place between the last chapter and epilogue of 'Arrangement,' which one must read in order to fully appreciate and understand. In other words, this is the full story of the birth of Joseph Dominik Von Trapp.
1. Chapter 1

**The Living Proof**

Maria was not sure which of the three sensations it was that woke her up from her sleep: the ray of sunlight that fell on her face, Georg's hand gently rubbing her very pregnant belly, or the stirring of life she could feel inside her. Even though Maria'd had a more peaceful sleep than she'd had in a while, she was glad to be woken up by even just one of these sensations; all three told her that she was waking up to a better place than even her dreams could provide.

To let Georg know she was awake, she smiled and covered his hand on her belly with her own hand. "Good morning, Captain," she murmured.

Her smile widened even further when she felt Georg's smiling lips caress the back of her neck. "Well, good morning, Fraulein," he murmured between two gentle kisses. "And how is the lovely mother this morning?"

Maria giggled and relaxed in his warm embrace she hoped never to get used to. "Isn't it a little bit early for me to be called that?"

"Myself and the seven children who are just waking up now would disagree with that," said Georg.

Maria sighed, lacing her fingers through his over her belly. "I suppose we should get up, then."

Georg sighed too, and gave her neck one more kiss before getting out of the bed. Immediately, he walked around the bed to her side, and helped her both sit up and stand up. Once she was steadily on her feet, Maria yawned and stretched her back. Opening her eyes again, Maria found her husband was looking at her with a soft smile. She raised a questioning eyebrow and said, "Yes?"

Her husband just leaned forward and kissed her lips before replying. "You look beautiful this morning."

"For a whale, you mean," muttered Maria, looking down at her 37-weeks-pregnant belly sticking between them.

"No, for the woman I love so much and sometimes still can't believe she is carrying my child."

Maria returned his soft smile, leaned forward, and rested her forehead against his chest while she took his hands. "Sometimes I can't believe it, either…after everything we've been through, how far we've come…"

He kissed the crown of her head tenderly. "I am so blessed."

"No, _we _are," corrected Maria, lifting her head to meet his eyes.

Georg got down on his knees and put his hands on Maria's stomach, just in time to feel the baby kick. "Well, good morning to you, too!" Georg said, grinning like a happy child. He leaned forward and kissed Maria's stomach. "I wish we didn't have to wait three more weeks to meet you."

"Tell me about it," said Maria, one hand caressing Georg's head while the other held her tummy. "Sometimes I feel like I'm going to explode, or that I will be pregnant forever. I just want to meet our baby."

Georg stood up with a sigh and caressed her cheek. "We have to be patient, Fraulein."

"Patience is not my strong suit, _Captain," _Maria shot back with a smile.

Georg chuckled and kissed her other cheek. "It isn't mine, either, but take it from someone who knows: no matter how we may feel about the situation," Georg pointed to her stomach, "he or she is the admiral of this ship, and we follow _their _orders only."

"Yes, sir!" said Maria with a salute, just like she had done the first day they had met. This caused Georg to laugh and kiss her again, more passionately. But before it could get _too_ heated, both felt a strong pulse come from Maria's enlarged belly between them, and they broke apart.

Maria groaned slightly, holding her belly. "Perfect timing, little one," she murmured before asking her husband, "Mind if I use the bathroom first?"

"Go right ahead, darling," he said, giving her forehead a kiss before she waddled into the adjoining room.


	2. Chapter 2

As Georg helped Maria button up the back of her dress, she groaned and held her stomach. "What is it?" said Georg, his senses instantly alert.

Maria's face relaxed and she rubbed her swollen belly. "Just very active this morning. Really learned where to kick in the most sensitive places."

Georg rubbed her arms. "Why don't you lay back down?"

Maria shook her head. "I'm hungry, and I want to eat breakfast with everyone." She turned around and looked at her worried husband. "But I'll lie back down after everyone leaves for school. I want to finish _A Christmas Carol _today, anyway."

The worry lessened somewhat on Georg's face and he kissed her forehead. "Thank you."

Maria smiled to herself as she took Georg's arm so he could lead them downstairs. He noticed it, and said, "I'm glad you now smile at my justified need to be overprotective and overworrying."

"It did take me some time to get used to," acknowledged Maria, thinking back to the early days when they had arrived in America and moved into their new house. He'd barely let her do anything to help, and that only increased as their child inside Maria had grown bigger.

"I never lost my trust in you, Maria," he said tenderly. "But the worry of an expectant father knows no bounds when it comes to his wife and unborn child." He smiled. "And I know that it amuses rather than annoys you, for whenever you call me 'Mother Hen,' you smile."

Maria laughed and kissed his cheek when they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Because, even though sometimes it gets on my nerves, I love being taken care of by you. I suppose I'll never get used to it, having taken care of myself all my life."

Georg's only response to this was a long kiss on her lips. He knew the story of her tragic childhood, and had seen firsthand the scars it had left; this was why he always took pleasure in taking care of her in the best way he could.

When Georg and Maria came into the dining room for breakfast, they found all seven of the children waiting for them. Since Maria's pregnancy had reached the third trimester, the children had taken to getting themselves ready in the morning, with Liesl to help the little ones, in an effort to make things easier for their beloved mother.

"Good morning!" they all chorused in greeting to their parents.

"Good morning, indeed," said Maria as Georg helped her sit in her chair. "I know everyone is happy that it is Friday."

"Oh, yes," said Louisa, who looked the most tired this morning. "I just want this arithmetic test to be other with."

"It will be soon, Lou," said Georg, patting her hand. "And you will do just fine. I know how hard you studied." He did indeed, for he had often helped her, including the previous evening.

Louisa gave her father an appreciative smile which he returned, and Maria could have sworn the two faces were identical in that moment.

"I can't wait for the Christmas holidays," said Friedrich.

"Mm-hm," said Kurt, his mouth full of syruped flapjacks. Both Maria and Georg gave him looks which told him he'd better not speak words until his mouth was empty. He got the message and spoke again once he'd swallowed. "I wish they would come sooner, don't you?"

"Oh, yes," said Maria, rubbing her stomach. "For around Christmas time, your newest sibling will come into the world."

Everyone smiled at the expectant mother, especially Georg. Perhaps sensing that he was being talked about, the child in Maria kicked, causing Maria to give a little "Ompf!" and hold her tummy with both hands.

"What is it, Mother?" asked Brigitta, who sat on one side of her.

Maria smiled, indicating she was alright. "Your little brother or sister is moving around quite a bit this morning."

"May I feel?" asked Marta, who sat at Maria's other side and held out her hand.

Maria nodded, still smiling, and placed Marta's little hand over the spot on her tummy where she could feel a pulsating action.

"Wow…" breathed Marta. Maria and Georg exchanged a loving smile.

During the duration of breakfast, one of the favorite family topics was discussed: the eighth Von Trapp. Thankfully, the issue of gender preferences was not discussed; that was discussed enough to the point where Georg and Maria would get headaches. Today the children asked what names they had in mind for the baby.

"Well, if it is a girl, we have two choices: Augusta or Barbara."

"Why those names?" asked Liesl with curiosity.

"Well, Augusta was my mother's name," said Maria in reply. "That was my choice. Let your father answer why he chose Barbara."

"That is the name of the patron saint of the navy," said Georg proudly. "I've always liked that name for a girl."

"Then why didn't you name any of us that?" asked Gretl, sitting beside her father.

Georg shrugged. "Honestly, there would always be another name that we liked better for you when each of you came into the world."

"And what about if it's a boy?" asked Kurt. "I really hope it's –"

"Kurt, let's not start that debate again," said Georg firmly. "In answer to your question, that's easy. We both like the name Joseph for a boy."

"Oh!" exclaimed Marta. "That's my favorite Bible story! I love how God took care of him in Egypt."

"Yes, and who else has that name?" asked Maria, smiling.

"Jesus's father!" said Gretl promptly, always glad to give a right answer. "That's a good name."

"Yes, it is," said Georg, nodding. "Both Josephs are wonderful role models and people to remember." He smiled seductively at Maria, who exchanged it, both thinking about the reason they chose the name Joseph that they didn't think appropriate to tell the children. Their eyes reflected memories of a little village in Italy, a wonderful wedding night, and the revelation Maria had shared with Georg the next morning just before they parted.

Yes, they had a _very _good reason for choosing the name Joseph.

After the children had cleared away their breakfast plates, with the help of Frau Schmidt, Georg and Maria helped the children into their coats and winter things for school.

"Have a wonderful day, children," said Maria, after giving Louisa a good luck kiss for her test. "And come straight home after school. I remember last Sunday when you all stayed up late finishing the homework you had put off. So let's try getting it all out of the way so you can have two full days off as opposed to a day and a half, all right?"

The children all nodded and promised. Georg smiled at her suggestion, and gave her a warm kiss good-bye. "I'll come straight home, as well. I have a feeling your feet will be needing a massage."

This was a tradition he had started when Maria's stomach had gotten quite convex, giving Maria more weight to support, so as a result her feet and ankles would become sore. Georg called it "payback" for how often Maria had massaged his back when he had pinched a nerve in his back over a year ago. Georg never regretted that happened, for both agreed that the week Georg had been an invalid and Maria had taken care of him had been a true turning point and strengthening of their relationship.

Maria gave him a kiss of her own. "That would be wonderful."

Georg got on one knee and caressed Maria's full tummy, feeling the active movements of his child beneath his hands. It worried him slightly how active the child seemed today, but he often worried too much. Even so, he was glad today was Friday, and hoped his day at the Naval Academy would go by quickly.

"You behave yourself and not give your mother too hard of a time," murmured Georg to Maria's tummy before kissing it. Maria laughed at this as he stood up.

"See you this afternoon," she said. "We'll be just fine."

"Have a good day, my love," he said, caressing her cheek before exiting the house after the children. As Maria watched the eight of them drive away into Annapolis, the baby kicked at her bladder for the second time that day. She groaned and murmured, "I'll take that action as you waving good-bye with me," as she waddled to the bathroom.


	3. Chapter 3

True to her promise to Georg, Maria spent the morning laying down. She settled herself on the comfortable sofa in the drawing room before the fireplace, in which Frau Schmidt had lit a roaring fire to keep her and the baby warm. There she remained happily in the realm of Dickens, where London seemed almost unreal in how accurately and beautifully it is described, and where one can learn almost everything about a character by just learning their name.

"I'm just running to the market to get some ingredients for the dinner tonight, all right, Maria?" asked Frau Schmidt as she put her winter coat on. Though there had been no snow yet in Annapolis, the winter winds off the Atlantic had dropped the temperature quite a bit.

"All right, Ellen," said Maria, barely looking up from her copy of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. "Be careful out there."

She heard the back door close and resumed reading her story. It wasn't long before she felt her child kick in her bladder area. Sighing, she marked her place in her book and heaved herself up out of the chair. Maria spared a longing look at the sofa, but knowing that if she used it she could never get out of it on her own, she had resorted to do her reading in the comfortable arm chairs.

"Wonderful timing, baby," she murmured, noting that this would be the third time this morning she would be using the bathroom. Once that was taken care of, Maria walked – or waddled – back towards the living room.

But she didn't make it there. All of a sudden, she felt a strange sensation in her lower body, and she groaned, clutching her swollen belly. Suddenly she heard the sound of water splashing to the dark-wood floor and felt something wet pouring down her legs, soaking her dress. Craning her neck to look over her very pregnant belly, she gasped.

"It's too soon…" she whispered as she hobbled to the nearby telephone, holding her belly and feeling suddenly afraid. She was, after all, all alone in the big house, with the children at school, Georg at the academy and Frau Schmidt at the market. Not to mention this was not supposed to happen for at least another two weeks.

When she got to the phone, she picked it up and called the number of the naval academy. Perhaps it would have been better to call the doctor first, but Maria really needed to hear her husband's voice. The phone rang several times before the secretary answered. "Annapolis Naval Academy, can I help you?"

"Um, yes, hello, I am Captain Von Trapp's wife and I need to speak to him right away."

"Well, he is teaching right now, Mrs. Von Trapp, but he can call you back in about a half an hour when lunch begins."

Under any other circumstances, Maria would have just left a message and said 'thank you,' but this was not any other circumstances. In a desperate, frightened voice, she held her belly more firmly and said, "Please, miss, my water just broke and I'm all by myself."

A brief pause. "Of course, Mrs. Von Trapp, just hold on for a minute while I patch him through."

"Thank you," breathed Maria, and leaned against the wall as she waited to hear his voice, rubbing her tummy with her free hand.

* * *

"You have until the lunch bell to complete this quiz," said Georg in his authoritative tone, slowly pacing before his rows of pupils in his fourth period class. This particular group of fourteen-year-olds was a generally well-behaved and bright group, but focus had been dropping slightly with the end of term so close in sight after Thanksgiving. So a pop quiz was in order from time to time in order to keep that focus sharpened.

All twenty-five pupils had their pencils at the ready, poised to begin.

Georg dramatically took out his pocket watch and watched it. "You may begin in three…two…one –"

At that moment, the telephone in his open office next door rang shrilly. Most of the boys couldn't disguise their chuckles at the situation, and neither could Georg, which put them at ease. "Well, you heard the bell! Begin while I take this."

The boys obeyed and silently began the quiz. Georg went into his office, shut the door and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

He recognized the voice of Judy, the secretary, immediately, and her urgent tone instantly put him on alert. "Captain, I'm sorry to interrupt, but your wife is on the phone. You had better take this."

Even if she hadn't said that last sentence, Georg would have taken the call. Maria would never call him at work unless there was a very good reason; she had yet to call him here until today.

"Of course I will, thank you Judy." There was a brief pause and then he could hear Maria's heavy breathing on the other end of the line.

"Maria, what is it?" he asked, feeling the slight worry he had felt this morning grow at a rapid rate.

Maria answered immediately, her voice shaking and thick with fear and apology. "Georg, I know it's too early, but my water just broke."

Georg felt his heart still for a second upon hearing her words. _Her water just broke…her labor is beginning…Our child will be born today…_

Fortunately, Georg was the perfect person one would want with them in a time of crisis. When other heads overheated, his remained cool and calculating. Thankfully, this did not mean his heart froze anymore.

So, in a calm and reassuring voice, Georg asked, "Is Ellen there with you? Have you called the doctor?"

"No, Ellen's at the market, you're the first I've called."

_My poor darling, _thought Georg. _No wonder she sounds so frightened; not only is her first labor starting, she is completely alone. _Georg knew, in that instant, that whatever worries and fears he had needed to take a back seat. His priority now was to be the strong support that Maria needed. After all, he may not have ever given birth before, but he had been the witness to seven of them. While he felt annoyed that Frau Schmidt was not home – though he knew he had no right to be angry at her – he knew that she would be a wonderful asset when she returned. For, not only was she a mother herself, but she, like him, had the useful ability to remain cool and in command in the face of stress and pressure.

"All right," he said, continuing to speak in his calm, in control and reassuring voice to his young wife. "You get yourself upstairs and into bed, time the contractions as they come. I will call the doctor and pick her up on the way home. We'll be there very soon."

"No, Georg, you have to teach, I'll be just fine –"

"Listen to me, Maria," he interrupted firmly. He loved how she always tried to be brave, but he certainly did not expect her to be so brave as to go through something like this without him. "Everyone here will understand; you are the most important thing in my life, and you need me. So I will be there. All right?"

He could hear the relief in her voice when she replied, her voice still trembling with emotion. "All right, I'll be strong."

Georg's heart filled with love for her. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

The line went quiet and he knew that Maria had hung up to obey his orders. He took a moment in which to gather himself. _I am going to meet my child tonight. My child with Maria._ He felt enormous excitement and enormous apprehension, but he only allowed himself a moment for that. As he'd resolved before, it was he who had to be the strong one now, and be her anchor in the storm he knew she was in for.

When he came out of his office and back into the classroom, he was surprised to find Admiral Brackett, the retired navy officer that was now the headmaster of the academy, supervising the class and waiting for him. When he saw Georg, he smiled and said in his slight Southern accent, "Judy told me. I'll take over from here, Captain; you are much needed elsewhere. All of our best wishes go with you."

Georg couldn't help but smile in gratitude. He saluted and then shook hands with his boss. "Thank you, sir. I will see you all again on Monday," he addressed to the room at large. The boys all gave him encouraging smiles; obviously, the Colonel had interrupted their quiz time to bring them up to speed on the situation.

With an excited, worried and hopeful smile and stride, Georg left the academy, the only thought on his mind his wife and soon-to-be-born child.


	4. Chapter 4

Frau Schmidt would thank God many times in her life that she had forgotten her shopping list at home, though, at the time, it was an annoyance.

When she came home, Frau Schmidt was not surprised to find the drawing room sofa unoccupied, thinking the expectant Mother was in the bathroom again. But when she saw the puddle of water on the hard-wood floor of the hallway of what appeared to be quite a bit of water, she became worried. Perhaps Maria had spilled something…in her condition, Maria was not one who voluntarily bent down or hunched over…

Suddenly, Frau Schmidt heard the sound of her mistress from upstairs. It was a cross between a groan and a cry – of pain. Gasping, Frau Schmidt looked once more at the puddle on the floor before hurrying up the stairs. Now she had a much better theory of what must be going on.

"Maria?!" she called as she climbed up the stairs as fast as she could. In response, she heard another groan.

When Frau Schmidt finally came to the master bedroom, she found lying on the bed with her head and back supported by pillows. She was breathing very heavily, holding her tummy with her eyes shut tight.

Frau Schmidt's theory was confirmed: the eighth Von Trapp was coming into the world two-and-a-half weeks early. "Oh, my dear…"

"So _that's _what a contraction feels like…" breathed Maria, rubbing her stomach, speaking more to herself than Frau Schmidt.

"Maria, when did it start?" asked Frau Schmidt, sitting beside Maria on the bed and squeezing her shoulder.

Maria finally shifted her pained gaze to Frau Schmidt, and forced her breathing to calm as she explained: "Right after you left, I had to go to the bathroom. After that, my water broke. I called Georg and told him; he and the doctor are on their way."

This relieved Frau Schmidt greatly. "Well, thank goodness I forgot my shopping list and came back for it."

"Me too," said Maria, looking at Frau Schmidt with those big blue eyes of her, where there was reflected all of her emotions, the most predominant one being fear.

Taking control, Frau Schmidt helped Maria off the bed. "Come, my dear, let's get you changed into a nightgown. Was that your first contraction?"

Maria nodded, gladly accepting Frau Schmidt's help. "Much worse than any menstrual cramp I've ever had."

Frau Schmidt chuckled. "Yes, I know. I remember my father once asked my mother what it felt like, and she said, 'Take your lower lip and stretch it up and all the way over your head. Then you have some idea of what it feels like."

Thankfully, Maria managed to chuckle as Frau Schmidt helped her get on the nightgown. "It seems my little one wants to be early."

"Yes, it certainly seems so," said Frau Schmidt. Carefully, she helped Maria back onto the bed. The poor young thing was staring at her stomach, terrified it might burst open. "It's going to get a lot worse, right?" She had asked both Frau Schmidt and Philomena many questions about the process of bringing a child into the world, so it was quite a rhetorical question.

Frau Schmidt rubbed her hand. "Yes, I'm afraid so, my dear. Try to think of each contraction as a wave: they come in and then withdraw, and the cycle begins again. As time goes on they will come closer together until a huge tsunami comes and ends it all. But each contraction will not kill you, and will pass rather quickly."

Maria nodded, still looking at her stomach but looking somewhat reassured. "I…I can't believe I'm going to be a mother tonight."

Frau Schmidt smiled. "Yes. It's a wonderful thought, isn't it?"

Maria managed to smile genuinely and even humorously at Frau Schmidt. "When I'm not having a contraction, yes it is."

* * *

Georg would forever be amazed that he not only got away with a quite a bit of speeding, but somehow managed to not get lost or cause an accident on the road on the day of his child's birth. After gathering his things and leaving the Naval Academy, Georg drove with all speed to Holy Queen Hospital, situated a few miles out of town. Upon arriving at the hospital, he found out that the doctor he wanted was in the middle of another delivery there – of twins, no less, so Georg would have to wait. In the maternity waiting room, he paced as furiously as the expectant father of the twins. All he could think of was his young wife, terrified, possibly alone if Frau Schmidt didn't come home soon, feeling her first contractions which would only frighten her more.

Thinking of this, Georg too felt terrified.

Finally, Dr. Elizabeth Hayes came into the room and found him – really, Georg had only waited for half an hour, but to him it could have been hours. She was all ready to leave with Georg for the Von Trapp home to deliver the baby.

One of the first things Georg had done for his wife when they had arrived in America was find a good doctor for her. Of course they wished that they could have either Hans Falk or Rebecca Bergman, but both were back in Europe and now far away. However, both knew they had found the right one in Elizabeth Hayes when they met her. A highly intelligent and gifted doctor – a rarity for females even in America – in her mid-thirties, with dark hair and olive skin, had dark eyes that showed her intelligence and warmth. And because she had children of her own, she proved to be a wonderful doctor and friend whom Maria immediately felt at ease with.

She was also one of the few doctors in the state who would help with home births, provided it was under the right circumstances. But because Maria was young, healthy, had a strong support system and a clean home, a home birth would not be a problem. Dr. Hayes's family came from rural Denmark, and knew the European tradition and significance of home births.

Seeing how agitated Georg was, Dr. Hayes offered to drive, but Georg refused. He needed to feel in control, and get them to his house as fast as he (hopefully legally) could. As he drove the miles back to his house, he got Dr. Hayes up to speed on the entire situation.

Georg very nearly ran the car on the curb when he pulled up to it, and thankfully managed not to crash into the garage. Georg, followed by Dr. Hayes, practically ran to and into the house. The first sound he heard came from upstairs, the sound of Maria's pained groan. A split second later he called out, "Maria!" and started running up the stairs, Elizabeth following behind her.

"In here, Captain!" came Frau Schmidt's voice from the master bedroom. Georg practically burst into the room and quickly saw the situation: Frau Schmidt standing beside the bed, on which Maria was lying in her nightgown supported by pillows, in the aftermath of a contraction.

It was a good thing that Frau Schmidt moved out of the way right away, for in the next second Georg was beside the bed, bending over his wife and touching her face. "Maria, I'm right here."

Her eyes opened and found those of her husband. For the first time since her water broke, relief filled her eyes and entire being. "Georg," was all she said, letting his name convey all she felt.

Georg kissed her, giving her the reassurance that she needed: he was not going anywhere. When their kiss ended, Maria spotted her doctor at the foot of the bed, opening her medical bag. "Oh, I'm glad _you're _here, too."

Dr. Hayes chuckled. "Of course. Have you timed the contractions thus far, Maria?"

Frau Schmidt gave the answer. "They're less than five minutes apart now, doctor."

Dr. Hayes's eyebrows went up. "Well, it seems this child is determined to arrive in the world early and quickly. Which of you passed _that _trait down?"

Georg immediately answered with a nod to his wife. "Oh, that would be her. Did you know her mother gave birth to her on a train?"

"So I've been told," breathed Maria, managing to make a face at her husband.

Dr. Hayes chuckled. "Well, Maria, then I know you can do this. We'll take you through everything as best we can. At this rate, this child may be born before the children come home from school."

Maria's eyes widened at this and let her head fall back against the pillows. "Oh, God…" she breathed, a tiny prayer for strength. Georg sat on the bed beside her, taking her hand in both of his and meeting her gaze. Maria looked into her eyes and found the answer to her prayer.

Quietly, but firmly, she said, "I can do this now."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **_Because I have yet to give birth and want to keep things brief rather than drawn out, please forgive me if I am inaccurate about anything - I am not a doctor but a writer. If Joseph seems to come into the world too quickly, keep two things in mind: I have heard of births that have taken even shorter times, and this is _Maria's _child._

* * *

Looking back on that day, Maria would see that it had been Georg's presence more than anything else that had given her the strength to bring their child into the world. Maria didn't want to think about what could have happened had Georg had not been with her.

Never once did Georg leave his spot beside her on the bed. When each contraction came, his hand was there for Maria to hold onto. As each came, Maria became somewhat used to it to the point where she no longer cried or groaned aloud. She would merely shut her eyes and mouth tight, rocking herself back and forth, with one hand on her stomach and her other holding Georg's. During these contractions, Georg had his free arm wrapped around her, and was whispering memories in her ear of happy times they had shared: the day after the Autumn Ball, Georg's time of confinement, their trip to Vienna, his birthday, Christmas, New Year's, Italy, their reunion and belated honeymoon, and their arrivals in both Switzerland and America.

It helped more than both of them knew; the hours that passed after Maria's first contraction seemed like days to poor Maria, but Georg helped to make it bearable. And he was not the only one. Frau Schmidt was a wonderful helper, bringing everyone a small lunch, slightly bigger for Maria to give her more energy and strength. She also did any little errands her boss or the doctor asked her to. Dr. Hayes always remained completely calm and easy-going, which helped the distressed and frightened Maria.

"Take each contraction one at a time," said Dr. Hayes soothingly, as she held a stethoscope to Maria's belly. "Save as much energy as you can, for you will need it when the time comes to push."

Maria nodded silently, in the aftermath of a contraction, her head resting on Georg's shoulder. Georg rubbed her back and kissed her forehead. "You're doing wonderfully, darling."

"Listen to your husband," said Dr. Hayes with a smile, still listening with the stethoscope. "I don't see anything that is out of the ordinary or to make us worry. Everything is progressing beautifully, and the baby's heartbeat is strong."

This news relieved Maria, that the baby was all right and everything was going normally, because she felt anything but normal. Each contraction brought a fear to Maria that she would somehow pass out or something worse. But she trusted the three people with her, and they all told her that she would not die. She was in good hands.

During a break between two contractions – they were getting marginally stronger while the contractions became stronger – Maria and Georg managed to have a private conversation while both Frau Schmidt and Dr. Hayes were downstairs gathering some towels and hot water. This, to Georg, meant only one thing.

"It will be soon, Maria," he said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "It's almost over."

"Good," said Maria, who didn't know how many more contractions she could handle, and was both eager and terrified for the actual labor to start. Eager to distract herself from thoughts of the worst pain to come, Maria said, "We should decide now, then, what the name will be if the baby is a girl."

Georg smiled at her, glad himself of the topic change. "Well, why don't we combine the two together? Make one the first name, and one the middle name. What do you think?"

Maria considered for a moment, smiled and nodded. "I like Barbara Augusta, what about you?"

"Perfect, darling," said Georg, returning her smile.

"Hm, what about a middle name if it's a boy?" asked Maria. "Perhaps it could be –"

But Georg never heard what Maria's suggestion was going to be. At that moment, the worst contraction yet swept over Maria, and she couldn't hold back a cry of pain as her eyes closed tight and her body stiffened. Georg could only respond to her squeezing his hand and tighten his arm around her.

Thankfully, at that moment, Frau Schmidt and Dr. Hayes came back in the room with towels and hot water. Seeing and hearing Maria, Dr. Hayes immediately came to the edge of the bed and examined Maria, lifting the hem of her nightgown. Her eyebrows rose. "Oh, my…Miss Von Trapp, you're just about fully dilated now. Captain, help sit her up and keep supporting her."

Georg immediately complied with her request. He scooted closer to Maria and helped her sit up, her legs bending and opening as she did so – which was good. When Maria had sat up, instead of rearranging the pillows behind her, Georg sat himself behind her so she could sit in between his legs and rest against his chest. He would support her in the best way that he could.

Safe to say what the doctor told Maria caused her excitement but even more terror. This pain was the worst she had ever experienced; she didn't know if she would make it if the pain got even worse. She took as much comfort as she could from Georg's now surrounding hold, and let herself fall back against his chest. Turning her head and craning her neck to meet his eyes, she showed him her fear and her tears. "I'm scared."

It broke Georg's heart to see her like this. The only time he had ever seen her so frightened was the night they had escaped Austria, and her brother had very nearly been killed. She certainly had good reason to be terrified then, and he couldn't blame her now – she had never done this before. He himself couldn't deny his still lingering fear. Georg kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. "You can do this."

Maria looked more resigned than encouraged as a tear slid down her face. "I have to…" Her breathing was now very heavy, and it took a lot of effort for her to keep it even and steady. She had a great urge now to push, feeling it would quicken and end the pain, even relieve it a bit. "Should I…should I push now?"

"Wait, Maria," said Dr. Hayes. Her voice was still calm and in control. She was now in front of Maria, looking between her legs. "I need to make sure the baby is in the proper position."

Maria wanted to scream in frustration. Her pain was greater than ever, and she felt she had to do _something_. Georg kept murmuring in her ear to keep breathing, and held her hands tightly.

After a minute, when Dr. Hayes looked up and helped bend Maria's legs and spread them more, Maria begged her. "Please, can I push now?"

"Yes, Maria, on my count," said Dr. Hayes, as Frau Schmidt helped to lay the towels before Maria, pouring some warm water in a basin with a washcloth. "One, two, three, _push._"

Maria pushed, sitting up as she did. She squeezed Georg's fingers so tight Georg wouldn't have been surprised if they had fallen off. Maria bit her lip to keep from screaming, and finally fell back against Georg. Maria felt like all of the strength had gone from her in doing that.

"Good, Maria, very good," said Dr. Hayes. "Now again, on my count. One, two, three, _push._"

Maria obeyed, feeling much less vigor than the first time. From there, everything became a blur for poor Maria. Again and again she pushed whenever Dr. Hayes told her to, and she couldn't say how many times (it felt like a lot more than there actually were). Whenever she collapsed back against Georg, he would whisper words of encouragement to her. Sometimes it would reassure her, and sometimes it would annoy her – after all, all her husband had to do was watch, and _that _was no comfort.

Near the end, Maria thought she had nothing left in her, and all she wanted to do was pass out.

"Maria, the head is out, you need to give one more big push," said Dr. Hayes, a note of urgency in her calm voice.

"I…can't…" Maria breathed, almost pleading to Georg.

"You can do this, Maria," he said. "I know it's hard, but you _have _to."

Thankfully, this did not reassure Maria – it annoyed her. "How in the world would _you _know how hard this is, Captain?" she snapped fiercely.

Dr. Hayes saw the perfect opportunity. "Come on, Maria, one more time, now _PUSH!_"

The inflaming of her temper had given her the energy Maria had needed. Maria leaned forward as far as she could go, screaming out as she pushed as hard as she could before collapsing back into Georg's arms. She felt on the verge of passing out and would have welcomed some relief, closing her eyes and praying for it. She was in a fog again, and all she could feel with her senses was Georg's hold.

Then, a few seconds later, something else pierce through Maria's fog and made it disappear: the piercing yet beautiful cry of a newborn.


	6. Chapter 6

It was 2:37 PM of December 2nd, 1940.

Slowly, Maria's eyes opened as she heard the cry of her firstborn child. The first sight she saw was her husband's beautiful eyes looking at her, tears welling in them. "You did it, my love," he whispered through his smile. "You did it!" He kissed her between her eyes, and Maria felt instantly relief that her pain was over.

She then opened her eyes further, desperate to see the source of the sound filling the room. "The baby…my baby…" was all she could say, desperate to know everything.

Dr. Hayes and Frau Schmidt were bent over the crying infant, cutting the umbilical cord and cleaning him with the warm water from the basin. "A bit early but healthy, Maria," said Dr. Hayes triumphantly. "The lungs are a good indicator of that."

Maria felt even more relief, and Georg gave a heavy sigh, holding his wife tight as his head craned to see his eighth child. Frau Schmidt met his eyes, and correctly read the question that laid in them.

"It's a boy, Baron and Baroness!" she said, her voice choked with happy, rare tears, as she wrapped the infant in baby blue blankets tightly.

Georg's face exploded into a huge and silly grin, and kissed Maria's cheek. "Our son is here, Maria."

Maria said nothing, but held out her arms towards Frau Schmidt, her wish clear. Frau Schmidt happily complied, approaching her with the still-crying bundle in her arms. Carefully, the older woman placed the infant into the arms of his mother.

Eyes shut, mouth open, face red as he still cried, and his head covered in fine black hair, he was the most beautiful thing Maria had ever seen. "Oh…" was all she could say as she looked down at her son, and gently with her fingers touched his chubby cheek.

That did the trick. Perhaps the little one could sense and feel he was now in the arms of his mother, who had sheltered him as he had grown big enough to come into the world. His crying calmed and his mouth closed, his little lower lip jutting out a bit. His eyes opened for the first time, and the first thing he saw was his beautiful mother.

Maria's heart, already so full, overflowed as she saw her son had inherited, not only Georg's hair, but his eyes as well. "Oh, Joseph…" she said, tears streaming down her face. "My Joseph, I've waited so long to meet you."

Joseph – for that indeed was his true name and always had been, since the moment he was conceived in the first hour of the feast day of his name saint – just looked up at his mother in fascination and adoration.

Georg, too, was crying, watching this little exchange. Like Maria, he couldn't take his eyes off his newborn son. He was beautiful, perfect, a miracle. Very gently, he reached out his right hand and caressed his son's little head, supporting it slightly as he held it. Joseph's eyes shifted when he felt this foreign touch, his little body twitching with it's first movements out of the womb, his throat making his first little sounds.

"Hello, my son," said Georg through his tears, identical eyes looking at each other. "Welcome to the world."

Gurgling softly, the effort became too much for Joseph to keep his eyes completely open. They shut again, sometimes opening a little bit as he tested out his limbs in the swaddling blankets slowly.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hayes had taken care of the afterbirth while Frau Schmidt had helped her clean up. When she was finished, Dr. Hayes looked at the proud parents and their baby; she knew that the rest of the world had disappeared for them and smiled at the sight. Successful births never failed to give her a sense of awe and be proud that she could be a helper in this most extraordinary part of life.

While she hated to take their attention away from baby Joseph – she had heard them speaking – she said to them, "Well, my work is done. I'll give you a call tomorrow to schedule some follow-up appointments for both Maria and baby Joseph."

Georg looked up at Dr. Hayes and nodded, smiling at her.

Maria then tore her gaze away from her baby son and said, "Thank you so much, Elizabeth."

"Yes, thank you," said Georg.

Dr. Hayes smiled. "My pleasure."

Frau Schmidt smiled at the family and then turned to Dr. Hayes. "Come, I'll make you a cup of tea before you leave."

"Frau Schmidt," said Georg, "Please let us know when you see the children coming home. I want to be the one to tell them."

Frau Schmidt nodded, smiling, and followed Dr. Hayes out of the bedroom.

All of the attention of the two parents went back to their son. His eyes were closed and he gave a yawn. Maria giggled at the adorable sight and smiled. "He's perfect."

"Yes, he is," said Georg, still holding his son's head, caressing with his thumb. "I suppose he must have heard our conversation this morning, about how eager and impatient we were to meet him, and decided to fulfill our wish."

Maria smiled at that, her finger tracing and memorizing her son's face. "You're already such a good boy…" she murmured. To Georg, she exclaimed softly, "He's so tiny!"

Georg chuckled, holding her closer. "I am relieved you are both all right; being a bit early I was afraid of what could happen. How are you feeling?"

Maria gave a deep sigh. "Tired, quite a bit sore down there…but I don't care. I feel absolutely wonderful. You were right: it was all worth it."

"It's nice to hear you say that for once," teased Georg, and kissed her cheek. "You did wonderfully, my dear. Although, I have to say, I was surprised to hear you call me 'Captain' like that again."

Maria blushed slightly. "I'm sorry for the things I said. All I could focus on was the pain."

"I know, darling, I know," said Georg, pressing his cheek to hers. "If you had cursed me to hell, I wouldn't have minded. I only wished I could have eased the pain for you."

Maria's finger drifted from her son's face to the tiny hand that had peeked out from the folds of the blue blanket. Joseph, as he briefly opened his eyes a bit, grabbed her finger as she caressed his hand, and held onto it. Fresh tears filled Maria's eyes as her heart lifted. She bent her head down and tenderly kissed her son's brow. "My little love…" she breathed.

The unfamiliar touch caused Joseph to open his eyes again and look at his mother; his grip on her finger did not loosen. Maria smiled at him.

Georg's heart was full as well. He took as much joy from watching his wife as he did his son. After all, this was such a new experience for Maria. For most of her life, she never thought she would ever bring a child into the world. He had joyed in watching her experience this pregnancy, as well as help her along the way. "You see, Maria?" he whispered in her ear. "You are already a wonderful mother – you love our son so much."

Maria felt a lump rise in her throat. There had been times in her pregnancy where she had felt terrified that she would be inadequate as the mother to an infant, but Georg had always been there to reassure her and chase away her doubts.

For the first time since holding Joseph, Maria turned her head to truly look at her husband, tears still in her eyes. "I couldn't do any of this without you, Georg."

Georg felt a lump rise in his own throat at her words. The sincerity and seriousness in her tone gave him no wish to tease her or deny her words. Later he would tell her how much those words meant to them, after all that they had been through in order to get to this place in their lives.

An inspiration came to him, and he decided to give her back something just as precious. As he silently admonished himself for not thinking of this before, he said, "I have an idea for his middle name. Joseph Dominik Von Trapp has a nice sound to it, does it not?"

A smile spread across Maria's face at Georg's suggestion of giving her brother's name as her son's middle name. She kissed his lips and he kissed her right back, each expressing all of the joy and love they felt in that moment for each other. When the kiss ended, both looked back down at baby Joseph, still holding his mother's finger and still resting his head in his father's hand. His eyes were closed as he lightly slept, little gurgles still coming from his throat.

That afternoon, there was nowhere else on Earth that held so much love.

* * *

**A/N: **_Joseph Dominik Von Trapp was conceived at the end of Ch. 43 - "A Time to Miss" - in _Arrangement.


	7. Chapter 7

When the clock showed half past three, Georg was standing at one of the windows in their room that looked out to the front yard. He was keeping an eye out for the children, who usually came home from school around this time. His eyes then turned back to the bed, and he smiled at the sight. Maria was giving Joseph his first feeding. When he had started crying a while ago, Frau Schmidt had helped to show her what to do. Thankfully, both mother and child had taken to it naturally, for it was both in their instincts. Something about the sight of Joseph feeding from Maria's breast Georg found very beautiful.

"He's finished," Maria murmured when Joseph stopped suckling. His eyes were closed and he had drifted back into sleep. Maria bent her head down and kissed her infant son, and then looked back up at Georg as she tucked her breast back into her nightgown. "You haven't held him yet. Do you want to?"

Georg felt his whole body warm and humble at the idea. "Yes, very much." Georg approached her side of the bed and they very gently transferred the infant from the mother's arms to the father's arms. Feeling himself in a different place, Joseph opened his eyes a bit, gurgling. But when he saw his father, his eyes immediately closed again; he knew he was in a safe, loving place.

Wanting to feel what Maria had felt, Georg brought his index finger to Joseph's little right hand. And just like with Maria, Joseph grabbed onto that finger and held it tightly, even in his sleep.

Another silly grin spread across Georg's face as he looked lovingly down at his newborn son. Feeling Maria watching them, he lifted his finger a bit for her to see, and Joseph still held on tightly. "What a strong grip, sailor!" said Georg, in his Captain's voice but still smiling. He shook his finger slightly, and still Joseph would not let go. "What a fine seaman you will become. When you get big enough, I'll teach you everything I know; in a port town like this, the sea is right outside our doorstep, always ready to welcome us."

Maria watched this exchange with a smile and silent chuckles. Seeing the way he held Joseph so easily, Maria said, "Seems to me like you've done this before."

Georg smiled at her as he sat down on the bed beside her. "You could say that," he said just as teasingly back. Then his tone became serious as he looked back down at baby Joseph. "But I will tell you something, my dear: it never fails to amaze me. Each time it happens, everything seems so new and touches your heart to the core, as if this is the very first time."

Maria reached out her hand and touched his back, conveying how much this information gave her happiness.

Then, both could hear the distant sounds of a group of children approaching, laughing and talking loudly. Both exchanged an excited smile, and Georg got up off the bed and went to the window. Sure enough, he spotted the seven oldest children, bundled up for winter and carrying their school things, all excited for the weekend.

"Your brothers and sisters have arrived!" Georg murmured to Joseph, who was still asleep. "They will be _so _excited to meet you, especially your brothers."

Maria laughed at this and held out her arms. "Here, give him to me so you can go down and prepare them."

Georg obeyed her wish and gave Joseph back to his mother. He kissed Joseph's head. "I'll be right back, you two," he said before kissing Maria's lips tenderly. He gave her a very loving look before leaving the room for the first time since arriving home.

Feeling excitement coursing through his veins, he hurried down the stairs and arrived in the front hall just before the children came inside. Upon seeing their father, they were extremely surprised. Usually, they arrived home a good half an hour before him. They all greeted him happily, the little one's going to hug him.

"What are you doing home early, Father?" asked Brigitta. "Did school end early at the academy today?"

"Well, no," said Georg, who continued to smile. "I left halfway through the day because I was needed here."

"Why?" asked Gretl, while the rest of the children's faces reflected the exact same thing.

Georg bent down so that his face was level with Gretl's and took her hands. "Well, Gretl," he said through his big smile. "Let's just say that you are no longer the youngest Von Trapp."

All of the children understood what he meant quickly, and their eyes widened as they gasped in surprise, which gave way to big smiles. Louisa was the first to speak. "Mother has had the baby?"

Georg nodded. "Yes, she has. Your brother decided to come a bit early and surprise us all."

Each child's face became even more delighted, most especially the two boys' faces. "A brother? We have a little brother?" asked Kurt.

Georg nodded, laughing at the relieved happiness on both of his older sons' faces. "Yes. Joseph Dominik Von Trapp. He's a bit early but otherwise healthy and beautiful."

"And Mother? Is she all right?" Liesl asked.

"Yes, she is doing beautifully," replied Georg, smiling at Liesl. She radiantly smiled back and embraced her father. The other children, having learned the wonderful news and that any bad news was non-existent, followed their older sister and hugged and kissed their father.

"Can we see Mother and the baby?" asked Marta after she'd hugged her father. All of the children seconded that wish.

"Of course," said Georg, holding up his hands to stop them all from rushing up the stairs. "But first, I want you to take off your winter things, put your school things away, and wash your hands and faces with warm water." He made his tone serious to emphasize his point, but it was still gentle. "Just remember: your mother is very tired and a bit sore, and your brother might be asleep when you go in. It is no easy task to bring a baby into the world. So remember to be quiet and gentle with both your mother and the baby for a while. All right?"

All of the children nodded, and Georg smiled with a nod, motioning for them to proceed with the tasks he had just assigned them. They did so, trying their very best not to hurry. Before Liesl could go, Georg took her hand to stop her. "Give Dominik a call. He will want to meet his nephew as soon as possible."

Liesl smiled and nodded before she rushed to the telephone in the closest room.

Chuckling happily to himself, Georg quickly walked back up the stairs, eager to be back with his wife and newborn child.

But when he came to just outside of the master bedroom, he slowed and stopped quietly, listening. He could hear the sound of Maria's voice, softly oooing an unfamiliar lullaby that seemed to reflect the emotions of awe and love. Still silent, Georg looked through the open crack of the doorway. Maria was cradling Joseph, her face bent down near him, looking at the little hand holding her finger.

Eventually, her ooos disappeared and she softly sang words:

_Daddy plays piano, plays it very well._

_ Music from those hands can catch you like a spell._

_ He can make you love him 'fore the tune is done._

_ You have your daddy's hands._

_ You are your daddy's son._

Georg felt so touched his voice disappeared and tears filled his eyes. He entered the room then, and Maria looked up. A slight blush flushed her cheeks when she realized Georg must have heard her, but she held his gaze, telling him that she had meant every word. Georg sat down on the bed beside Maria, cupped her cheek, and kissed her with everything he held in his heart. Maria returned it passionately, a tear of emotion gliding down her face.

Neither had any idea how they had come to deserve each other, or the miracle they had created together, sleeping in his mother's arms.

* * *

**A/N: **_The song that I used is called "Your Daddy's Son" from the musical _Ragtime. _In that show, this song is a sad and tragic song. Because the song is so beautiful and the lyrics I chose are so perfect, I made it happy._


	8. Chapter 8

"Hello?"

"Dom? It's Liesl."

"Liesl, what a wonderful surprise! It's been a while since our last phone call."

Liesl, who had already been smiling in anticipation of the news she had to tell him, felt her smile widen at his joyful reaction to hearing her voice. The two of them wrote frequent letters to each other; telephone conversations were a bit more difficult, since Dominik shared a phone with the other young men in his dormitory. This was their first telephone conversation since Thanksgiving, which he had spent with the Von Trapps. "Yes, I know, but you're going to be _very _happy that I'm calling now, after you hear what I tell you."

"What is it?" he asked, both excited and curious.

"You're an uncle."

A moment of silence, then she heard Dominik gasp. "Maria's had the baby? But I thought she wasn't due until around Christmas!"

"She was a bit early," said Liesl. "But both she and your nephew are doing wonderfully."

Another gasp. "It's a boy? What's his name?"

Remembering the middle name Joseph had been given, Liesl's smile turned mischievous. "Well, you'll have to meet him to find out."

"Very subtle, Liesl," he chuckled. "I'll be on the next train from New York City to Annapolis. I'll see you all tonight!"

"Wonderful!" said Liesl. Though they had only spent two weeks apart, neither of them could see each other enough.

* * *

To prepare for the children, Georg gently placed Joseph in the little basinet they had gotten for the infant. It could be easily moved from the nursery next door to this room, and Georg made sure it was on Maria's side of the bed, so she could always look over upon her baby. Joseph was awake now, but he kept his eyes only partially open or closed completely, testing out his little limbs in jerky movements, in the space of the basinet.

Both parents were looking at him adoringly when a timid knock could be heard. Exchanging a smile with Maria, Georg went to the door and opened it, revealing all seven children looking quietly excited. He smiled at them and motioned for them to come in, which they did quietly and slowly.

When they saw their mother lying in bed, a little pale and tired-looking, she smiled genuinely at them. "Hello, children," she said, her voice tired and quiet, but rich.

They all replied with greetings to their mother. "How are you feeling?" asked Liesl.

"I'm perfect," she replied truthfully, and then motioned to the basinet, from which soft gurgles and coos were coming. "And so is your little brother."

All of the children shifted their gazes to the little cradle, and softly, cautiously approached it so they could look down at their newest sibling. The little ones approached first, and the rest stood either behind or beside them, so everyone could see him.

They all looked down in awe upon their baby brother, especially the little ones, who had almost no experience with babies. The older ones looked no less happy, but they had memories of their youngest siblings as babies, so their awe was a quieter kind.

Gretl was the first to speak. "Oh, he's so tiny!" she exclaimed. She immediately blushed in embarrassment of her outburst, and her father gave her a gently stern look with a finger over his lips. However, this action caused Joseph to open his eyes, and he looked in awe upon his siblings, shifting his gaze from one to the other.

"Father, he looks just like you!" exclaimed Brigitta, her voice quiet as she looked at Georg. Maria smiled in agreement, and Georg smiled in humble pleasure.

"I didn't know babies could be born with so much hair," said Kurt, smiling down at his baby brother that he had so wished for. "I thought all babies were bald."

Maria chuckled. "Well, now you know differently."

"It's true, some are born with hair," said Georg. "In fact, Brigitta, you were born with hair just like that."

Brigitta smiled at her father before looking back down at her baby brother.

"What's he doing?" asked Louisa, as she watched Joseph's twitching movements.

"Testing out his limbs," replied Georg. "Especially now that he no longer is confined in the womb to do so."

"Thank goodness," said Maria lowly, and Georg smiled at her, noticing that her eyes were nearly closed.

Marta tugged on his father's sleeve and he looked down at her. "May I give him a kiss, Father?"

Georg gave his special smile to his most gentle daughter. "Of course you may."

Marta stepped close to the cradle, bent down, and gingerly placed a kiss on her baby brother's forehead. Everyone smiled at this, and Georg bent down to whisper something in her ear. Looking curious, Marta fit her index finger in Joseph's little hand, and she gasped when he grasped it with his strong grip.

"Wow…" she said, much the same way she had when she had felt him kicking inside their mother's belly just that morning.

Gretl, watching this and wanting to participate, did the same thing with Joseph's other hand, and he gripped her finger just as tightly. The two little girls looked at each other and exchanged smiles.

Georg turned his head to look at Maria, and saw that, though she was smiling, her eyes were closed. _Of course she is exhausted, my poor darling. _Remembering her suggestion that morning, Georg came up with a plan. "Children, do you remember what your mother proposed you do today after school?"

They all either groaned or gave him pleading looks, but Georg held firm. "Take a look at your mother: she is trying not to fall asleep, and she deserves a good rest after today. If you do all of your homework before dinner, you can not only spend the rest of your day up here but you'll have the entire weekend free to get to know Joseph. All right?"

Though the children naturally did not want to do any homework on a Friday afternoon, they knew that their father's suggestion was rational and they did not want to do homework at the last minute on Sunday night. So they nodded.

Georg smiled. "Why don't you give your brother and mother a kiss and then get to it, all right?"

The children smiled at this and obeyed, and Georg was proud of the way they quietly organized themselves and executed this. They all whispered little words of love to their brother and mother as they gave each gentle kisses. Maria, who was still awake but exhausted, embraced each child gently, grateful they kept her condition in mind.

Liesl stayed behind after the rest of the children had left to talk to the both of them. "I called Dominik. He's thrilled, and said he would take the first train down here and will be here tonight."

Maria smiled joyously. "Wonderful…thank you, dear."

Liesl smiled, and bent down to give Joseph one more kiss as he grasped her finger. "You are so loved," she whispered in his ear. He gurgled in response, which made her smile.

After the eighteen-year-old had left the room, softly shutting the door behind her, Georg sat on the bed and leaned over Maria, who had closed her eyes again. "Thank you, Georg…I really am very tired…"

Georg stroked her face. "Sleep, darling. No one deserves it more than you."

"You'll wake me if he get's hungry?"

"Oh, you'll hear it," he said with a smile. "But I'll make sure to have a meal for you here, too."

"Along with yours?" she asked.

"As my lady commands," he replied, having planned to dine up here with her anyway.

Maria closed her eyes and was asleep in the next minute. Georg tenderly kissed her forehead, and took a moment to look at his sleeping wife, the mother of his child. Watching her, he realized once again just how much of a miracle she had been in his life, from the very beginning.

His ears perked to the sound of Joseph's gurgles and coos. Smiling at this opportunity to spend with his son, Georg walked to the cradle and gently lifted him. "You behave yourself for a while now, understand? Your mother deserves a good long nap after what you put her through today. In the meantime, we can get to know each other a bit, eh?"

Joseph opened his eyes a bit more and their eyes met. His little hand reached up, and Georg gave him his finger. Joseph grasped it right away and held on.

The happy father had never been happier. "That's my boy."


	9. Chapter 9

Liesl could not recall the last time this house had been so full of love and happiness. Granted, they had only lived in the house for about four months, so it was a fair argument that this had been the happiest day they had ever experienced in the house.

Like the rest of the children, Liesl did her homework as quickly as she reasonably could before they all rushed downstairs to eat their dinner. Without the supervision of their parents, the children were slightly more vocal in their speaking, and more than one person talked with their mouthful once, but overall they were not animals. They had been brought up from the cradle to always behave, but a newborn baby brother was a perfectly reasonable excuse to relax that stance a bit for one day.

The evening the children spent in their parents' room with their baby brother could be counted as one of those times too precious to share. They all talked together, passing baby Joseph carefully from one person to the other. Joseph, thankfully, was not distressed from being passed around so much, but enjoyed the feeling of moving and the loving attention he received.

* * *

As the little ones settled into bed, Liesl, Friedrich and Louisa headed back downstairs to wait for Dominik. Out of all of the Von Trapp children, these three oldest had undergone the most change and maturity since Maria had first come into their lives.

Liesl was no longer the naïve sixteen-going-on-seventeen-year-old she had once been. At eighteen, she had become more down-to-earth and less excitable, and this suited her better. After all, she was a child no longer, but a true young lady, with all of the gravity that entailed. Her maturity gave her beauty, and so did the love she held in her heart for Dominik. She was not afraid to use that word, for it was the truth. Learning the difference between the infatuation she had felt for Rolfe and the blooming love she now felt for Dominik had been the best awakening Liesl could have undergone. Learning what true love was, from her family and Dominik, had not only grounded Liesl, but given her a wisdom that was transforming her into a beautiful woman, both outside and inside.

Friedrich was now the tallest of the children, nearly his father's height. Though he had inherited his mother's light blond hair, anybody who looked at his face and build would know that he was Georg's son. Now he was the one in the family who was sixteen-going-on-seventeen, but he was anything but naïve about a lot of things. Whenever his father would listen to the news of abroad, and of their homeland, on the radio, he would be right there beside him. He and his father often talked as two men as much as father and son. Friedrich knew that, eventually, the war in Europe would come here, and a distant cloud had formed on the horizon that represented what he could be asked to do when that happened.

Louisa had crossed the threshold from childhood to young womanhood when she had started high school here in the United States. It had truly been a clean slate for her, in a new country, a new school, a new language, and all new people. Her brilliant and calculating mind – so like her father's mind – had made her an excellent student (despite her insecurities in arithmetic). Though she was outgoing and outspoken with her family and loved one, at school she was more introverted. Thankfully, she had made some good friends there and was finally becoming more comfortable with herself, as the beauty she had inherited from her mother became even more prominent in her features.

Sitting in the living room, they talked with each other as they always could: casually and freely. "He really does look a lot like Father," said Louisa, with a soft smile.

"Yes," said Liesl softly. "I know Mother is thrilled about that, and so is Father, even if he won't admit it."

Friedrich chuckled and then became thoughtful. "You know, when I first found out that Mother was pregnant, I won't deny that I really hoped it would be a boy. But as time went on, I found that it really didn't matter to me, as long as both the baby and Mother would be all right."

"Well, what do you know," said Liesl with a smile. "My little brother is growing up."

"That _is _a miracle," muttered Louisa, which earned her a playful punch in the arm from Friedrich.

"I think Kurt's really excited to have a little brother," said Friedrich. "Understandable, since he's spent his whole life following me around. I think he's eager to have someone follow _him _around for a change."

"He'll be a wonderful big brother to Joseph," said Louisa, whose compliments were rare but always genuine. "We see how he is with Marta, especially. Remember how he would always hold her hand when she was very small and Father would see us?"

"I'm glad those days are over," muttered Friedrich, who cringed remembering the days when his Father had been a stranger, a cold man who had taken away his sled and was never satisfied with his posture.

Liesl took his hand in comfort. "Those days have been gone for a long time now. There's no use in mourning those days. They'll never come back again."

Friedrich gave his sister a grateful smile and squeezed her hand back. Looking between both of his sisters, he said, "You know, I still have to pinch myself sometimes. That all of this is real."

The young women nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. Everyone had been through so much in the last year and a half: the arrival of Maria, having music and play back in their lives, gaining a true mother, watching their parents fall in love, almost losing their father to the war, escaping Austria, settling to life in America, and now their baby brother was born.

At that moment of happy contemplation, the sound of wheels coming up the road and the flash of headlight through the window caused them all to sit up on alert. Liesl smiled radiantly. "Dominik is here."

Friedrich and Louisa looked at their older sister with knowing smiles. "You go welcome him first," said Louisa.

Liesl blushed ever so slightly. Everyone seemed to know of something special between her and Dominik. While she was happy that no one seemed to have a problem with that, she was even more glad that they were not forcing either her or Dominik to define what they had yet. There had been enough changes and upheavals in the family to last for quite a while, and she and Dominik were happy in the phase their relationship was in. As soulmates, both knew that their fates were intertwined, and they would always come back to each other. There was no need to hurry.

"Thanks," Liesl said, and rushed out of the room to the front door. She opened it and watched Dominik exit the taxi and walk up the front path carrying an overnight bag. He smiled at the sight of her and hurried his steps. He swept her into a joyous embrace on the front porch, lifting her off the ground. Liesl laughed and hugged him tightly back. She could feel the joy that was exploding inside of him.

He kissed her cheek and let her down. Liesl took a small moment to just drink in the sight of him. One would never guess that, just six months ago, he had been shot in the shoulder. Just as everyone had predicted, he'd made a full recovery and was better than ever. In fact, he was thriving in New York City, enrolled in a masters program for music composition and performance.

"A happy day, Li," he said, his smile never falling.

"Yes, it truly is," said Liesl, and kissed his cheek in return. "Come inside before you freeze to death."

She pulled Dominik inside and her two siblings came into the front hall. Dominik shook Friedrich's hand and hugged Louisa. They all walked upstairs together, and then Friedrich and Louisa broke off to go to their respective rooms. Liesl and Dominik walked to the master bedroom hand in hand. Upon arriving at the closed door, Liesl knocked on the door and took a step back, so Dominik could go in first.

Georg opened the door, and immediately smiled at the sight of Dominik. They embraced. "Thank you for coming right away."

"Why on Earth wouldn't I?" replied Dominik. "You're glowing, Georg!"

"Nothing compared to your sister, though," said Georg, who then stepped aside so Dominik and Liesl could come in.

Maria was in bed, cradling her baby boy in his baby blue blankets. She smiled at the sight of her brother. "Come meet your nephew, Dominik."

Dominik took in the sight of his sister. It was clear that she had been through an ordeal today, by her pale skin and worn out features. But she was also glowing, just as Georg had said. Dominik rushed to her side of the bed and he kissed her forehead before looking at the gurgling bundle in her arms. His little arms were jerking with movement, and his eyes were half-open, half-closed. "Oh, Maria…he's beautiful!" breathed Dominik.

"Yes, just like his father," said Maria, caressing her son's cheek with her finger. He yawned, and Dominik chuckled.

"You do realize that nobody has told me the name of my nephew, right?" he teased.

Maria looked up from her son and into her brother's eyes. "His full name is Joseph Dominik Von Trapp."

Dominik's eyes widened upon hearing this, and his mouth opened to say something. He looked from his sister to Georg to Liesl, all confirming the name with their eyes. "I…I don't know what to say…"

"Then I'll speak," said Georg, walking to the bed to sit beside Maria. "I'm glad you're here, too, Liesl, for I have something to discuss with the both of you."

"What is it, Father?" asked Liesl, moving to stand by Dominik.

Georg and Maria exchanged a look before looking at the two of them. Maria spoke. "We want to ask if you would be Joseph's godparents."

Now both Dominik and Liesl looked shocked, and looked at each other and then the two proud parents. "Father, Mother, we would be honored," said Liesl, her eyes filled with tears.

Dominik looked equally touched. "Absolutely honored. And the name, too, I can't…Thank you."

Maria smiled at him. "Do you want to hold him?"

Dominik immediately became hesitant, looking down at baby Joseph. "I'm afraid I might…I won't drop him, right?"

Maria laughed. "If I thought that was a possibility, I wouldn't have asked." Very gently and carefully, Joseph was transferred from Maria's arms to Dominik's arms. Liesl put her chin on Dominik's shoulder, her fingers caressing her brother's head as he cooed.

"See?" said Liesl. "You're both fine."

Dominik chuckled, looking down at his nephew. "Even so, I still feel nervous, so why don't you take him?"

Liesl happily complied and cradled her brother. His arms free, Dominik embraced his sister. "I'm so relieved you're all right, and so proud of you, lovely mother."

Maria's gratitude she expressed in her embrace; she would never take for granted the fact that her brother was not only here but alive. God was watching over them.


	10. Chapter 10

When Joseph was nine days old, he was baptized in St. Andrew By the Bay Church of Annapolis, Maryland.

It was the third Sunday of Advent, so joyous pink decorations were put up everywhere. In terms of his age, Joseph was being baptized a bit earlier than some, but with Christmas coming, Maria and Georg were glad to be able to have him baptized as soon as possible. Dominik had, again, made the trip down from New York City, and the congregation was full for Sunday service in witness to the sacrament. Along with the altar boys who would lead the procession, five people stood just inside the church at the main entrance: the priest, Maria, Georg, Dominik and Liesl.

Maria, in a rose-colored dress reflecting the joy of the day and the joy of her heart, held baby Joseph in her arms. Georg stood beside her proudly, his arm around her waist, wearing a matching tie of the same rose color.

Joseph was wearing his pure white baptismal gown that Max and Philomena had sent from Europe as a gift. Georg had called them once the time difference had seemed appropriate for both parties, and both were thrilled about the news, and wished that they could be there. The gown had been a surprise, but a beautiful one. Also, it was not itchy or uncomfortable for him, so he was very comfortable in the gown and his mother's arms. The godparents Dominik and Liesl stood by them with linked arms. The rest of the children stood in the first aisle of the church, the furthest away for the moment but no less happy.

The priest spoke in a voice that carried in the echoing church. "My dear friends, welcome on this third Sunday of Advent, a true day of joy. Not only because the day of Christ's birth is close within our sights, but because today we welcome a new member into the Church. Parents, godparents, family and friends, you have experienced unbelievable joy in bringing this child into the world. A true gift from God is the miracle of life, and his life will be further blessed in this sacrament."

He turned to Maria and Georg with a smile. Father Philip was a kind man in his sixties, who had welcomed the Von Trapps to the congregation right away. All he had done to prepare them for the ceremony was to say, 'Just answer the questions as I know you will: truthfully.' "What name do you give your child?"

Georg answered in a proud, strong voice. "Joseph Dominik."

Dominik, as always when he heard his nephew's middle name, blushed a bit and smiled a bit. Liesl squeezed his arm and they exchanged smiles.

The priest continued: "And what do you ask of God's Church for Joseph Dominik?"

"The sacrament of Baptism," replied Maria in just as strong of a voice. Just then, Joseph gave a particularly loud coo, which made those around the group and amongst them laugh, especially the priest.

"The motion has been seconded, then," he said, and everyone laughed again. Georg rubbed his son's head and Maria blushed through her smile. "You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training him in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring him up to keep God's commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?"

Both Maria and Georg replied, "We do."

Father Philip turned to Liesl and Dominik. "Godparents, are you ready to help the parents of this child in their duty as Christian parents?"

Both Liesl and Dominik exchanged a look and said, "We do."

Father Philip smiled. "The Christian community welcomes you with great joy. In its name I claim you for Christ our Savior by the sign of his cross." With his thumb, the priest made the sign of the cross on Joseph's forehead. Then the service began, the Von Trapps walking in the small procession up the aisle. They turned to the first pew and sat with the children to the liturgy of the word and the intercessions.

After they were over, Father Philip called the five of them up to the altar for the sacrament. Joseph, bless him, had fallen asleep, which made those closest smile. _There's no harm, _thought Maria. _It's not him who will be answering the questions, anyway. _Also, Maria had gotten some very valuable advice when Joseph was born: You never wake a sleeping baby.

The priest commenced: "Dear parents and godparents: You have come here to present this child for baptism. By water and the Holy Spirit, he is to receive the gift of new life from god, who is love.

"On your part, you must make it your constant care to bring him up in the practice of the faith. See that the divine life which God gives him is kept safe from the poison of sin, to grow always stronger in his heart.

"If your faith makes you ready to accept this responsibility, renew now the vows of your own baptism. Reject sin; profess your faith in Christ Jesus. This is the faith of the Church. This is the faith in which this child is about to be baptized."

The priest went on to renew the baptismal vows of Maria, Georg, Liesl, and Dominik by reciting back the Nicene Creed to them. "This is our faith," said Father Philip when this was finished. "This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord."

"Amen," said the congregation.

Father Philip invited the parents and godparents to the font of holy water, and said to them. "Is it your will that Joseph should be baptized in the faith of the Church, which we have all professed with you?"

Maria, Georg, Liesl and Dominik all responded in unison: "It is."

Smiling, Father Philip motioned for Maria. She walked right up to the basin of the font and, with Georg using his hand to support Joseph's head, held him carefully over the water.

"Joseph Dominik, I baptize you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Three times during this speech Father Philip dipped his cupped hand into the font, and carefully poured it over Joseph's head. As this happened, Joseph woke up but he did not cry. His eyes opened, and he looked between his beaming father and his beautiful mother. "Amen."

The cantor near the piano sang the tradition words, which the congregation repeated back:

_"You have put on Christ! In Him, you have been baptized!_

_ Hallelujah, hallelujah!"_

The proud parents and godparents smiled with joy as Father Philip wiped Joseph's head. Because he had such abundant dark hair, it was a tougher job than normal, and he chuckled at that. This caused Joseph to give a _very _annoyed cry at the annoying sensation. This made everyone laugh. Maria gathered him close to her and soothed him with a kiss.

Still smiling, Father Philip resumed the sacrament. "God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into his holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as a member of his body, sharing everlasting life."

"Amen."

Father Philip dipped his thumb into the chrism oil the altar boy held out for him, and made a cross on Joseph's forehead. Maria had calmed him, so he accepted it without resistance.

After wiping his thumb on a towel, Father Philip resumed, looking at Joseph and making a sign of the cross over his white baptism gown. "Joseph, you have become a new creation, and have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven."

"Amen."

The altar boy handed him a small, slim, but beautifully carved white candle. He lit it with the light from the Easter candle, and handed the candle to Dominik and Liesl, who held it together.

"Godparents, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ. He is to walk always as a child of the light. May he keep the flame of faith alive in his heart. When the Lord comes, may he go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom."

Both Dominik and Liesl nodded to the priest, and smiled at Maria and Georg, who smiled right back.

The sacrament was nearly over, and only the final blessings remained. Father Philip stepped up to Maria and Georg, smiling. His gaze turned to Maria.

"God the Father, through His Son, the Virgin Mary's child, has brought joy to all Christian mothers, as they see the hope of eternal life shine on their children." He made a sign of the cross over Maria. "May He bless the mother of this child. She now thanks God for the gift of her child. May she be one with him in thanking Him for ever in heaven, in Christ Jesus our Lord."

"Amen," said the congregation.

Tears of joy and love streamed down Maria's face, and she closed her eyes as the blessing washed over her, silently giving her thanks to God. She could still remember a time when she never imagined she would ever be a mother, or a wife, or a lover, or part of a family at all. And now…Maria opened her eyes again and looked down at her infant son laying in her arms, looking back up at her. She smiled at Joseph and pressed her forehead gently to his for a moment.

_I am so blessed._

Father Philip turned his gaze to Georg. "God is the giver of all life, human and divine. May he bless the father of this child." He made the sign of the cross over Georg. "He and his wife will be the first teachers of their child in the ways of faith. May they be also the best of teachers, bearing witness to the faith by what they say and do, in Christ Jesus our Lord."

"Amen."

Georg felt tears fill his own eyes as the blessing came over him. Like Maria he closed his eyes for a moment in silent gratitude. In a year and a half, he had gone from being the tormented shadow of a man, estranged from his children and closed off from beauty, to…He opened his eyes and looked at his beautiful wife, his angel, who had saved his life, saved his children, and now held the living proof of their love in her arms, a love he never expected, never thought he deserved, but wouldn't trade for the world.

_I am so blessed._

"By God's gift, through water and the Holy Spirit, we are reborn to everlasting life. In His goodness, may He continue to pour out his blessing upon these sons and daughters of His. May he make them always, wherever they may be, faithful members of His holy people. May He send his peace upon all who are gathered here, in Christ Jesus our Lord."

"Amen!"

Father Philip motioned for Maria and Georg to turn towards the congregation, which they did, along with Liesl and Dominik. Father Philip spread his arms wide to the congregation. "My brothers and sisters, welcome Joseph Dominik Von Trapp to our Church!"

The entire congregations, everyone in the church, burst into applause. The six children in the first pew cheered the loudest with the biggest smiles. Liesl and Dominik, their arms still linked and holding the candle, exchanged a smile. Maria and Georg looked around the applauding congregation, smiling in gratitude and joy before looking lovingly at their son and then each other. Joseph, unfamiliar with this loud but joyous sound, open his eyes and looked around in curiosity, but he didn't cry. He was too fascinated to interrupt this curious sound.

* * *

At the end of the service, the entire family led the way out of the church, and they came out to a beautiful, rarely cloud-free, December sky. The sun was shining radiantly on everything, and it shone radiantly on the family. Before everyone else from the congregation came out to congratulate them and fawn over Joseph, Georg wrapped his arms around his wife, holding their child, and kissed her tenderly.

When the kiss ended, they took the last free moment to look down adoringly at their son, their creation, their miracle, their extraordinary love's living proof.

**THE END**


End file.
